Alcoholic Beverages Not Permitted on Trains, Stations or Platforms; Subway on Regular Schedule; Some Buses Re-Routed for Fifth Avenue Parade

The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will operate extra trains to help those traveling to New York City for the 253rd St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Monday, March 17.

Customers are advised not to bring alcoholic beverages, open or closed, on trains, platforms and stations through 5 a.m. on March 18. Alcoholic beverages will be confiscated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police. Bar carts at Grand Central and Penn Station will not operate this day.

A press releases offering detailed information about extra trains on the LIRR and Metro-North are linked here. New York City subways and buses will operate on a normal weekday schedule, with parade-related service changes as noted below.

New York City Subway

The 77th Street station on the line, near the parade’s end point at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue, will be the most affected station. The NYPD may designate some staircases at the station as entry/exit only on both the uptown and downtown platforms for crowd control.

New York City Buses

The following New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company routes will be subject to detour in the area along the parade route: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M31, M50, M57, M66, M72, M79, X1, X10, X17, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11 and Q32.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels

MTA Bridges and Tunnels urges parade-goers to take mass transit. As always, motorists should never get behind the wheel of a car if they’ve been drinking. Throughout the day, there will be increased vigilance at all MTA crossings to combat drunk driving.